Global Travel Disruption After Power Outage Shuts London’s Heathrow Airport

The global transport hub is closed until midnight, after a fire at a nearby substation caused a power outage, with over 1,300 flights canceled so far.

A fire at the North Hyde electrical substation, which caught fire Thursday night and lead to a closure of Heathrow Airport in London, on March 21 2025. London Fire Brigade via AP

London’s Heathrow Airport closed on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation, causing travel disruption for hundreds of thousands of passengers around the globe.

About 150 people were evacuated after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation on Nestles Avenue in Hayes caught fire, according to the London Fire Brigade. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” the airport said in a statement. “We apologise for the inconvenience.”

Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, also advised passengers not to travel to the airport and to contact the airlines if they require further information.

At least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow were affected following the airport’s temporary closure, according to the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports for international travel.

Flightradar24 stated on social media platform X that the number does not include flights that might be canceled or delayed due to “aircraft being out of position.”

British Airways said in a statement that the airport’s closure would have a significant impact on its operations but assured customers that it would provide updates on travel options.

Qatar Airways announced that multiple flights will be affected until midnight on March 21, adding that it is working closely with airport officials on the matter.

Similarly, Singapore Airlines canceled eight flights to and from Heathrow, noting that more flights could be affected as the situation “remains fluid.”

Europe’s Ryanair said it has launched eight “rescue flights” between Dublin and London Stansted to assist affected passengers. The flights will operate on Friday and Saturday.

In an update on Friday, London Fire Brigade said the fire has been brought under control after several hours of firefighting. It stated that emergency services would remain at the scene throughout the day.

“Our fire investigators will begin their investigation [and] we will continue working closely with our partners to minimise disruption and support the community,” it stated.

British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said in a BBC News interview that the fire has also affected a backup generator at the substation. He described the incident as “catastrophic.”

“We don’t know the cause of this fire. It’s obviously an unprecedented event,” he told the news outlet. “The [National Grid] has never seen an event quite like this, so it is very unprecedented.”

London Fire Brigade said about 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Half of a transformer at the substation was still burning as of Thursday night.

The fire and rescue service’s assistant commissioner, Pat Goulbourne, said the fire caused a power outage impacting many homes and local businesses and that the fire brigade was working to reduce disruption.

“This was a very visible and significant incident, and our firefighters worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” he said in a statement.

Goulbourne said that firefighters set up a 200-metre cordon around the area to restrict access as they worked to put out the fire.

Residents in the area were advised to take precautionary steps due to the heavy smoke. Goulborne stated that at least 29 people were evacuated from buildings near the substation on Thursday.

“Scientific advisors will also be on-site this morning to conduct further assessments and monitor the air quality,” he said. “As the morning progresses, disruption is expected to continue, and we urge people to avoid the area whenever possible.”

Thousands of homes were left without electricity due to the fire. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks reported that more than 16,300 homes were impacted by the power outage.

The power provider stated that it had sent emergency services to respond to the incident.

“Where possible, we will always try to keep the power on, however, there are situations like this where we need to isolate the power to keep people safe,” it stated in an update.